' of their own virtue, (or power, virtutis,) they may learn that they stand and are upheld by the ' hand of God alone; that, being naked and empty, they may flee to his mercy, may recline them'selves wholly on this, and hide themselves in it; 'that they may lay hold on this alone for righ'teousness and merits; all which things are laid

open in Christ, to all those who seek and expect 'them with a true faith. For God, in the precepts 6 of the law, is a rewarder only of perfect righteous

ness, of which we are all destitute: on the contrary he appears a severe Judge of crimes. But ' in Christ his face, full of mercy and lenity, shines 'forth even upon miserable and unworthy sin'ners.'1

God, in his infinite mercy, hath appointed one Physician, and provided one infallible remedy; he has pronounced all other physicians to be " of no "value," all other remedies wholly inefficient. Now the evangelical clergy, and all sober Calvinists, endeavour to convince their hearers, that their disease of sin is in itself so desperate, even when not rendered inveterate by habit, that recovery is hopeless except by "the grace of Christ," and in the method of the gospel; and that, if they neglect or refuse the great and good Physician, they will at length find their malady incurable. They indeed aim and desire to induce despair, not of salvation, but of any other salvation than that of the gospel. They dwell on the malignity of the dire disease, in order to recommend the great and infallible Physician, and to overcome men's

1 Calv. Inst. Book ii. ch. 7. sect. 8.

reluctancy to his methods of healing. For, as long as any think that there is in them some health and soundness of constitution, so that the disease will depart of itself; or that they can heal themselves, or that other physicians and remedies can recover them; pride, love of sin and the world, aversion to the humbling holy truths of the gospel, and independence of spirit which scorns to be under obligation, will induce them to refuse the Saviour's invitations; or to say, " Go thy way at "this time, when I have a convenient season I "will call for thee." Now the day of judgment must determine, whether they who oppose our endeavours to convince men that their innate depravity is incorrigible, and themselves irrecoverable, except by the grace of the gospel; have, or have not, a more effectual, or an equally effectual, method of recovery to propose unto them. "I am "the way, and the truth, and the life; no man "cometh to the Father but by me."1 "The scripture hath concluded all under sin; that the

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promise, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, might "be given to them that believe."2 Thus likewise our Article: They also are to be had accursed, 'that presume to say that every man may be saved by the law or sect which he professeth, so that he 'be diligent to frame his life according to that law, and the light of nature. For holy scripture 'doth set out unto us only the name of Jesus 'Christ, whereby men must be saved.'3 I however perfectly agree with his Lordship, that ministers should impress upon their hearers the neces

John xiv. 6.

2 Gal. iii. 22.

3 Art. xviii.

sity and duty of exertion; and should teach them that original depravity will not excuse their cri'minal indulgences.' For it must be owned that, while some deviate from the way by unscriptural doctrine, there are others who grievously fail of properly applying scriptural truth to holy and practical purposes.

But what is the language of our Homilies on this part of the subject? 'Man is of his own nature fleshly and carnal, corrupt and naught, sinful ' and disobedient to God, without any spark of goodness in him; without any virtuous or godly 'motion: only given to evil thoughts and deeds.' Of ourselves we be crab-trees, that can bring 'forth no apples: we be of ourselves of such earth 'as can bring forth but weeds, nettles, brambles, briars, cockle, and darnel. Our fruits be declared ' in the fifth chapter to the Galatians. We have 'neither faith, charity, hope, patience, chastity, ' nor any thing else that good is but of God; and 'therefore these virtues be called there, "the ""fruits of the Holy Ghost," and not the fruits ' of man.'-' Hitherto we have heard, what we are ' of ourselves; very sinful, wretched, and dam'nable.'1

Whereby it came to pass,' (by Adam's transgression,) that, as before he was blessed, so now 'he was accursed; as before he was loved, so ' now he was abhorred; as before he was most 'beautiful and precious, so now he was most vile ' and wretched in the sight of his Lord and Ma

'Homily on the Misery of Man, Part 2.

'ker. Instead of the image of God he was now 'become the image of the devil; instead of the 'citizen of heaven, he was become the bond-slave of hell; having in himself no one part of his 'former purity and cleanness, but being altoge'ther spotted and defiled: insomuch that now he 'seemed to be nothing else but a lump of sin, and therefore, by the just judgment of God, was con'demned to everlasting death. This so great ' and miserable a plague, if it had only rested on Adam, who first offended, it had been so much 'the easier, and might the better have been borne. But it fell not only on him, but also on his posterity and children for ever: so that the whole brood of Adam's flesh should sustain the selfsame fall and punishment, which their forefather by his offence most justly had deserved.—St. 'Paul, in the fifth chapter to the Romans, saith, By the offence of only Adam, the fault came upon 'all men to condemnation; and by one man's 'disobedience many were made sinners. By which 'words we are taught that as in Adam all men 'universally sinned, so in Adam all men universally received the reward of sin; that is to say, ' became mortal, and subject to death, having in 'themselves nothing but everlasting damnation 'both of body and soul. All men universally 'were nothing else but a wicked and crooked gen'eration, rotten and corrupt trees, stony ground, 'full of brambles and briars, lost sheep, prodigal sons, naughty and unprofitable servants, unrighteous stewards, workers of iniquity, the 'brood of adders, blind guides, sitting in dark

6

'ness and in the shadow of death; to be short, nothing else but children of perdition, and in'heritors of hell fire."1

Would they who wrote, or they who approved and published these Homilies, have objected to a minister of the establishment, that he maintained human nature to be so entirely depraved, as to be incorrigible, and irrecoverable, except "by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ?" And can we wonder that the language of the Homilies is sometimes mistaken for that of modern Calvinists?' For in what does the difference between the two consist; except that modern Calvinists do not reach the simplicity, decision, and energetic language of the Homilies.

When a man is deeply convinced that he cannot recover himself, or cure the distemper of his fallen nature, yet that unless it be cured he must finally perish; hearing and reading that God hath promised" to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask "him," he will pray earnestly for this most needful blessing; and in answer to prayer he will be preserved from either becoming profligate,' or, 'suffering the miseries of religious despair: ' and he will gradually learn both that" without "Christ he can do nothing," and that "he can do "all things through Christ strengthening him."2

Instances, however, might be produced of men, under terrors of conscience, arising not only from the recollection of past sins, but also from the power of evil propensities strengthened by habits of long continuance, who, while total strangers to

1

Homily on the Nativity. 2 John xy 5. Phil. iv. 13.

VOL. VII.